Month: August 2015

Suitcases and Heart Swells has been nominated for the Liebster Award by none other than founder of the Real Uganda Leslie Weighill. I’m humbled that my little blog is caching attention by anyone at all. So thanks for the nomination.

To be considered for the award I have to answer the following 11 questions.

1. When and why did you start blogging?

I started blogging when I decided to move to Mali. Before I left there was very little information online about the context I was moving to. This idea to help “Google-fy” Mali was reinforced when I realized after moving here how few businesses have websites, facebook pages, or any online presence at all. Without an online presence people thinking of moving here or who live here find it hard to maximize on all that Mali has to offer.

2. What are the main factors that guide you when deciding to holiday or travel?

Mali has a conflict going on in the north that sometimes affects our security allowances around Bamako. So now I look for places that are really safe, have easy transport, and lots of natural beauty that I can indulge in and totally unwind.

3. Books or movies?

Books when I’m travelling or in the car, movies when I am looking to unwind from work.

4.How many people make up your household?

Harder to answer than you might think. In Mali one roommate
, in Canada home 1 two roommates in my other Canada homes 1 each.

5. What is your favourite city?

For nightlife I loved Kampala Uganda. I just visited Porto, Portugal and for daytime sightseeing I loved it!

6. How do you choose new bloggers to follow?

I like logs that make me laugh or think about things in a new way.

7. Whom do you trust most in the world?

I trust my mom more than anyone else. She’s been through it all with me and always has my back.

8. How many times have you changed careers since starting to work?

I started working a job with payroll at 15. Since then I have switched careers 7 times for youth worker to waitress to international development worker.

9. Do you work best in the morning or at night?

At night. Or whenever it is quiet.

10. Sweet or salty?

Sweet. But the best is sweet and salty.

11. Have you ever been to east Africa?

In 2012 I travelled to Uganda. It captured my heart and solidified my desire to work in development. Until a recent trip to portugal it was the only country I would want to visit again,